Florida Department of

TRANSPORTATION

Environmental Management Office

FDOT Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) process Overview

The Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) process is Florida's procedure for reviewing qualifying transportation projects in order to consider potential environmental effects during planning. This process provides opportunities for early input, involvement, and coordination. The process prepares projects to advance to the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) phase.

Stakeholders involved in the ETDM process generally include Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)/Transportation Planning Organizations (TPOs), county and municipal governments, federal and state agencies, Native American tribes, and the public. To facilitate intergovernmental interaction, each FDOT District has an Environmental Technical Advisory Team (ETAT). The ETAT includes representatives from MPOs/TPOs, state and federal agencies, and participating Native American Tribes. ETAT members and the public have the opportunity to provide input to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) regarding a project's potential effects on the natural, physical, cultural, and community environment throughout the Planning phase of project delivery. These comments help to determine the feasibility of a proposed project; focus the issues to be addressed during the PD&E phase; allow for early identification of potential avoidance, minimization, and mitigation opportunities; and create products that may be used in the PD&E phase to promote efficiency and consistency during project development.

The ETDM process links land use, transportation, and environmental resource planning initiatives through early interactive agency involvement. It also connects the Planning and PD&E phases by carrying forward planning products, previous analyses and decisions supporting future transportation decisions in subsequent phases of project development. Furthermore, the ETDM process provides a planning framework to support the national goal of Environmental Sustainability, which seeks "to enhance the performance of the transportation system while protecting and enhancing the natural environment," as established for federal transportation programs in Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

The ETDM Process is composed of two project screening events: Planning and Programming. During the Planning Screen, comments received from the ETAT members and the public help FDOT and MPOs/TPOs to prioritize proposed transportation projects for their inclusion in their Cost Feasible Long Range Transportation Plans (LRTPs). During the Programming Screen, qualifying projects are reviewed when being considered for funding in the FDOT Five-Year Work Program or MPO Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), or if already funded, before advancing to the PD&E Phase.

Coordination with the ETAT members is facilitated through the Environmental Screening Tool (EST), an Internet-accessible interactive database and mapping application. The EST brings together resource and project data from multiple sources into one consistent format. It provides quick, standardized Geographic Information System (GIS) analyses, identifying potential natural, physical, cultural, and community resources present in the project area. The EST also allows the ETAT members to comment on the potential effects of the proposed project. Project information is made available to the public through the ETDM Public Access Site (https://etdmpub.fla-etat.org/est/).

Environmental Screening Tool Overview

For additional discussion please call Peter McGilvray 850-414-5330 or email at peter.mcgilvray@dot.state.fl.us.